It’s not that being negative or focusing on the negative is annoying to those around, although it is. It’s that being negative, complaining and making excuses hurts your ability to perform, to get things done.

When you’re in a negative mindset, you’re less responsive, less precise, and slower in almost every way.

Positivity, on the other hand, is linked to better performance across the board including greater speed and accuracy.

You can’t afford to let negativity hold you back or keep you down. Too much is riding on it.

The good news is that being positive is a learned behavior. You can do something about how you think, and what you allow yourself to say.

You can choose a more positive attitude and tone.

You can condition yourself not to complain.

It will take time, but it’s worth the effort because your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, and your actions determine your outcome.

They can simultaneously be your best friend and your worst enemy. As with most things, there is a dichotomy. There are two paths to how you treat your emotions.

One puts too much stock in them and believes them good guides for decision making etc.

The second sees them as triggers. They use them as sign posts that tell them to get in the game and change how they behave.

Negative emotions like anger, fear, or frustration alert you to a problem within your own heart and mind. These feelings serve as warning sirens that give you the chance to change paths before things get ugly and out of hand.

It’s a small distinction, but an important one.

One uses these feelings as the basis for behavior, while the other allows the same feelings to trigger better and more controlled responses.

Changing how you look at something changes everything, even when that change is something small and noticeable only within your mind.